Vacuum mining device.



' J. B. RIDDLB. VACUUM MINING DEVICE. 'nrmc'non FILED -Jrmn 15,1903.

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TED sacres "Parente ermee.

JERRY B. RIDDLE, or sicninnx'ro, CALIFORNIA'.

VACUUM hmmm DEVICE.

Application tiled. June 15, 1908. SerialNo. 438,623.

' To all einem it may concern:

Be it wn that I, JERRY B. RIDDLE, citizen'of the United States, residing at Sacramento m the county of Sacramento and State of Qaiifornia., have invented new and useful mprovements in Vacuum Mining De-v vices, oui'aviiich the following is a specification.

'My invention relates to a device which isl designed im' excavating and raising valuable sandv and material from the bottoms of riverson' ether bodies of water where such sand :may be found.

It consists in the combination of iarts, and in details. of construction which will be more fully expilained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l shows the' device applied. is a central vert-ical section.

For the pur )ose of excz vating and raising valuable goidcaring sands from submerged positions, I employ a vacuum chamber A, and in cernnection therewith a sand-receiving chamberB extending downwardly from the first named chamber, and -having inwardly opening; valves 2 through which, when the lower emi of the chamber B is in contactwith the substance to be raised, this substance will be drawnin by pressure from-the outside, caused by the vacuum above which pressure forces aiciaarge of the. material into the cham ber B by opening the valves 2. These valves are ain closed when the pressure is remove1l :and the load Inay be deposited -in sluices oir otherwise.

I have-incre shown the apparatus suspended from a crane or dcrrick C, which is mounted upon a; @cat or scow D in such a manner that it- .may lire raised and swung about from the oint of excavation to the point of deposit; lint it will be manifest that the apparatus may be e erated in other ways without ma# terially tering the character of my invention.

The vacuum chamber A is here shown as cylindrical in shape having the lower end made eenvergcnt and funnel-shaped to the point 0 junction with the upper end of the chamber' B, rand the two may be united by the usuiai bolts and flanges, or in other suitable manner.'

' 3 is' a valve hinged at the junction of the two chambers and closable u wardly.

.The face of the valve is mat e of heavy rubber or eiastic material, so thatin case of small Fig. 2

gravel, a1-.other obstruction being lodged at Specification of Letteray Patent. l ,Patentedseph 15-,1'908 l this point, such obstruction will sink into the' material of the valve face to such an extent as to allow the valve to close substantially tight, when released.

The upper part of the chamber A is connected at 4, with a suction pipe which may be carried u )on the float, or m suitable p ro.\- imity with t iis apparatus.

5 is a cylinder having a piston 6 adapt to reciprocate within it. The piston-rod of this cylinder is connected by a pitman 8, with the valve 3 as shown at 9, so that when the piston is forced down, ,the valve 3 will be opened downwardly "an l, open communication effected between tliechambers A andB. The vacuum having beelilfproduced in the chamber A, the extcrioipressure will forceY a charge of material and water into the chamber B, and a portion of the water or material may arise into the chamber rlfhe chamber E having thus received its lo: 'ifthe valve 3 is closed by the upward moemiit of the piston 6, and the apparatus may -hen be raised and turned to a position whe e the 10aa may be deposited. This disposera of the load is effected by opening the valves at the bottom of the chamber B, and alsbtlie valve 3 so that the vacuum in the chambers' having been destroyed the load will sweep-.

out of the two chambers.

The conical form of the lower part of Athe chamber A is favorable to the washing out of any material which may have been carried upward into this chamber, and the valves being closed, the apparatus being again swung into position, the vacuum is again produced in the chamber A, the opening of the valve 3- will again cause another load to be again drawn into the chamber B.

rlhe piston 6 is reciprocated by any suitable Iiuid pressure introduced alternately through the pipes l-O and 1 l; one connecting with the upper part of the cylinder 5, and the other with the lower part. By means of a Vthree way cock 12, or equivalent valve, one

of these passages may be opened for pressure, and the other connected with an exhaust passage to allow the Huid upon the opposite side of the piston to freely escape.. and not cause back pressure; the operation being in this particular similar to that of any reciprocating engine.

The valves or gates 2 are here shoivnas being mounted in the bottom or base 13 which is hinged tothe lower part of the chamber B, as shown at 14. This bottom, when closed, is reta-med in position by a latch 15,

V and tais is its condition when the apparatus is lowered upon `the sand or material to beraised, and when pressure from the e'\ terior is allowed to act upon the sand by the opening of the -valve 3, so that the vacuum in the upperehamber may act through the lower one, the gates 2 will open as previousl described. After the apparatus, thus iilledi has been transferred to a point of deposit, the whole of the bottom 13 is released by disengaging the latch 15, thus allowing it to swing around its hinge 14 and discharge the load.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an apparatus of the character described, a vacuum chamber, a material receiving chamber connected therewith, an u wardly closing valve located between tliie chambers, and mechanical means whereby said valve is positively opened.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, vacuum chamber, a material receiving chamber having inwardlyA opening alves or ates,'z a valvezlocated between the two cham ers, a cylinder with reciprocatinnr piston and rod, and'connections between sai( piston-rod and the valve whereby the latter may be opened.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a vacuum chamber superposed upon a material-receiving chamber, an upwardly closing valve located betweenl the chambers, means for producing a vacuum in the upper chamber, mechanical means by which the valve may be opened against the upward y pressure, and automatically operating Gates in the lower part of the` receiving cham el".

4. In an apparatus of the character described, a vacuum chamber superposed upon a 'material-receiving chamber, said vacuum` chamber having funnel-shaped bottom connectmg with a reduced passage between lthe two chambers, an upwardly cosing valve located in said reduced portion', inwardly opening valves or gates located m the lower chamber, means by which a vacuum 1s produced in the upper chamber, controllable means by which the intermediate valve is opened to allow the vacuum pressure to act within the lower chamber, means for raising and transferring the apparatus to a point of deposit, and means for releasing the vacuum and allowing tlie material to be discharged. r 5. 1n an apparatus of the character described, a vacuum chamber, a material-receiving chamber connected therewith, an intermediate upwardly c1osinr valve, means for producing a vacuum in t ie upper chamber, mechanical means by'which the intermediate valve may be opened to allow the vacuum to act in the lower chamber, inwardly opening valves or gates in said lower chamber, a hinged bottom upon which said valves are located, a latch by which said bottom is normally closed, the releasing of said latch allowing the-entire bottoni to swing open.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit- 

